[fotoopa]’s build is based around two cameras – a Nikon D200 and D300. These cameras are pointed towards the subject insect with two mirrors allowing for a nice stereo separation for 3D images. Of course, the trouble is snapping the picture when an insect flies in front of the rig.

For shutter control, [fotoopa] used two IR laser pointers pointed where the two cameras converge. A photodiode in a lens above the rig detects this IR dot and triggers the shutters. To speed up the horribly slow 50ms shutters on the Nikons, a high-speed shutter was added so the image is captured within 3ms.

[fotoopa]’s 2011 rig took things down a notch; this year he’s only working with one camera. Even though he didn’t get any 3D images this year, the skill in making such an awesome rig is impressive.

Well, in defense of his work, there are a lot of constraints with macro photography, especially since he’s more interested in action shots.

If you wanted to work with a nice, static object then you can start exploring composition of the subject and possible abstraction but taking pics of flying insects is only going to get you so far as far as what you have to work with.

I kind of ran into that problem doing water drop photography. It was more fun and much more of a challenge actually making the rig instead of doing the photos. They were kind of boring.

Which is what I was thinking of. Turns out it’s the same guy! Howabout that. It looks like he should have stuck with the very original setup. His complications have ruined things. He’s progressed beyond a perfect tool back into the realm of shit.